2018 NYS AUA Annual Meeting

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I invite you to join us in Argentina for the 116th Annual Meeting of the New York Section of the American Urological Association to be held October 21-27, 2018. The meeting will officially begin in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. After our site visit it was obvious that the country is known for its beauty, its food, its wine, the Tango, fútbol, Evita, and warm welcoming people. We will be sampling all of this during our visit. Strongly influenced by European culture, Buenos Aires has been called the “Paris of South America”. There are over 300 active theaters ranking it number one in the world. Buenos Aires is the home of the Teatro Colon, the opera house that has been said to have the best acoustics in the world. There are numerous museums, parks and squares filling the vibrant city.

In Buenos Aires we will be staying at the Four Seasons Hotel. The welcome reception will be held at a beautiful outdoor venue at the hotel. In addition to traditional Argentinian fare, we will have a collection of artisans who will be showcasing their leatherwear, knives, jewelry, Fileteado (Argentinian artwork) and a mate (a local herbal drink) demonstration. Those who are interested can have measurements taken for custom made leatherwear that will be delivered to our hotel within 48 hours.

The scientific sessions are actively being planned. Dr. Steven Kaplan our Senior Scientific Advisor, and our Scientific Chairs, Dr. Ketan Badani, Dr. John Mulhall, and Dr. Ardeshir Rastinhead promise an outstanding educational program. I have had numerous meetings with the Argentinian Urological community and they are extremely excited by the NY section’s meeting. Their hospitality has been overwhelming. They are going to be very involved in the meeting and we anticipate numerous local Urologists participating.

We have planned a full social program in Buenos Aires that will give us a great understanding of the country. It will be highlighted by city tours, Tango lessons, the Evita museum, a dinner in El Zanjon, an amazing urban architectural site built from 1730 onwards which has been converted into a wonderful entertainment space where we will have dinner. We have left Tuesday night free to give you an opportunity to explore the city on your own, go to the opera and if the soccer schedule makers are looking down on us perhaps experience a match.

On Wednesday morning the group will depart for a full day experience at the La Aguada polo farm where we will partake in polo lessons, indulge in asado (Argentinian Barbeque) which is cooked over a parrilla (an open fire), experience the gaucho culture, and see our own private polo match. That evening we will all depart for Mendoza, the wine country known for Malbec, via commercial flights which are included in the package price.

In Mendoza our scientific sessions will continue at the Park Hyatt Hotel, Casino and Spa. The social program will also continue. We have planned an outdoor adventure for one day which will have options of white water rafting, zip-lining or trekking. An evening dinner program of tapas and wine will follow. On Friday, the last day prior to departure, we will experience the wine country of Mendoza. We will be visiting several vineyards and are planning tastings as well as an opportunity to blend a bottle of your own wine. That evening we will be having our farewell gala at the Septima winery. This spectacular venue overlooks the foothills of the snow-capped Andes mountains and we anticipate a spectacular sunset!

During the scientific sessions, activities will be offered for all guests not attending the meeting including cooking classes, bike tours, Fileteado class, museum tours, spa sessions, and additional city tours.

On Saturday, departures back home will occur, marking the official end of the meeting. However we encourage you to join us on a pre-trip as well as a post-trip. The pre-trip will require arrival in Buneos Aires on Saturday Oct 20th. We will be greeted by our local travel agents, and take a short flight to Iguazu Falls, the world’s largest waterfall in the middle of a national park which is in a protected rain forest ecosystem. This excursion will be highlighted by various activities at the falls including visits to the Brazilian and Argentinian sides and a four wheel drive through the surrounding area. We will stay overnight and then travel to Buenos Aires and arrive at the Four Seasons Sunday the 21st.

The post-trip is also an experience of a lifetime in Patagonia. We will visit Ushuaia, which is located on the Tierra de Fuego archipelago and is the southern-most tip of South America. It is nicknamed the “End of the World”. Perched on a steep hill, it is surrounded by the Matial Mountains and the Beagle Channel which is the gateway to Antarctica. We will be staying at the Arakur Resort and Spa, a world class facility 800ft above sea level with spectacular views of the Beagle Channel. While in Ushaia we will explore the outdoors, visiting the majestic lakes region, a private cruise into the Beagle Channel where we will visit a penguin colony and see other wildlife, and take a trip on the Train of the End of the World.

Sue and I, and Michelle Paoli, the section’s executive secretary, welcome you to what we know will be an excellent scientific program, and a social program that will be filled with many Kodak moments and many gastronomic delights. We hope you join us on this exciting trip.